Gatekeeper: Divinity
by Kitsune-242
Summary: The Gatekeepers and Truths always stood alone, guarding their Gates, never interfering with humans. But when mortals become too self-destructive, they are sent out to stop the worlds from unraveling, no matter the cost. Nothing comes without a price...
1. Prologue: Keeper of the Gates

Disclaimer: I don't own Full Metal Alchemist, or Bleach. BUT I DO OWN A STOCKING FULL OF CANDY CANES! :3 I'm serious, they're hanging on my wall right now. My own secret stash to eat in the night to keep me going…*evil chuckle*

…obviously, I'm tired, and on extreme sugar high from eating….*counts wrappers*….about fourteen candy canes.

…just…scroll down and read before my candy-cane-induced sugar-high finds a new topic for me to ramble about in this author's note.

**EDIT: **_**ATTENTION READERS OF 'VULPES ALVEUS'! LOOK FOR AN ANOUNCEMENT ON THE PROCESS OF THE NEXT CHAPTER IN THE ENDING AUTHOR'S NOTE!**_

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><p><em><strong><span>Gatekeeper: Divinity<span>  
><strong>__A Full Metal Alchemist/Bleach Crossover That Needs a New Name, the Current One Probably Being Changed Fifty Times Before I Find A Good One_

**Prologue  
>Keepers of the Gates<strong>

White. Endless white. No floor, no ceiling, no walls. He stood, and yet he floated; after all, how can you stand on something that isn't there, even though he was clearly standing on a solid surface? Before him, the endless expanse of white was broken by a single double-doorway, the doors in the shape of a half-oval, the doorway itself being black in color, lines of red running throughout the black like small veins. Behind him, the white was dotted with multiple other doors, all leading to the domains of the Others. All the doors were smaller than his own – his own being a good twelve feet tall – except, that is, for two. One was only two feet larger than his own, and was beautiful; not as simple as his own, but not as beautiful as the doorway that dwarfed all the others. Twenty feet tall, and the only golden doorway in existence.

Two doorways larger than his own.

Two Dwellers higher in rank than him.

No matter how many new Dwellers – Gatekeepers, Guardians, Angels, Demons, there was no real _actual _name for them besides one that nobody really liked to speak – came into existence, he was always above them, and the two above him were above them.

It was a ranking system – one based on age, not power – where nobody could gain rank, and nobody could lose rank. No way to go up, no way to go down. In constant limbo.

Kind of like him.

The only door larger than his that wasn't the largest opened behind him, and not once did his golden eyes with their black sclera wander from his own door, his intense gaze fixated on the one thing that his existence continued on for. Out of the pure whiteness beyond – the whiteness that was the basis of every doorway, either side, all of them – stepped…whiteness. Literal whiteness. The only thing that distinguished the shape of the whiteness was a black shadow that rippled around the whiteness, giving it the shape of a young human being. And – somehow – a white smile was stretched across the whiteness's 'face'. A smile that never seemed to leave, especially when this being was around his most favorite Gatekeeper to speak to.

"**What do you want, Alpha Truth?"** Demanded the one who continued to stare at his own doorway, his arms still crossed, his voice calm and emotionless. Within his voice – the base of it sounding like the voice of a young male, the form that he took – was millions of others, all echoing, some whispering, some talking, some almost seeming to shout at the tops of their lungs.

"**Is that the greeting that I get, Beta?" **Asked the grinning white form. **"I go through all the trouble to pick out your Gate among **_**all **_**the others, and you react so coldly when I arrive?"**

"**My Gate is the second-easiest to find in your domain." **Replied the other, his voice ever calm. **"It was no trouble at all to find my Gate, and no trouble to find it. Now what do you want, I'm busy."**

"**Certainly don't look it." **Muttered the other being in the vast whiteness.

"**How can you see how I look, you have no eyes."** Said the only one with color, though the question was more of a statement, one that would go unanswered.

"**Nice stab at humor, but leave it to the professionals." **Said the white one, the grin that had fallen beforehand returning bigger than ever. **"The reason I'm visiting thy Cold-ness is 'cause I've got orders."**

"**Orders?" **Asked the gold-eyed one, though this was an empty question. Who else could give Alpha Truth orders but _Him_? **"What does He wish?"**

While Alpha Truth was higher in rank than Beta Truth, he still knew not to piss of the being before him, the one that would not look to him. Ranks were based on age, not power, and Alpha Truth was almost positive that the being that had chosen to keep a corporeal form would eventually beat him in a fair fight, if given enough time and enough space to work with. Though in a land like this, there was no concept of space, so that regard was covered.

And since Alpha Truth didn't feel like getting his teeth knocked out – the gold-eyed 'boy' before him was more than capable to bash the teeth out of his intangible face – he decided to play his announcement safe.

"**Sorry 'bout this…but He wishes for you to journey to Earth."** Alpha Truth nearly flinched when he felt the air in the nothingness around him get clogged with pure rage.

"**I was promised this wouldn't happen."**

"**He is not sending you where you think, Beta. He made a promise, and He does not break them. As you carry the name of Truth, then you are aware that there are multiple other universes aside from the two that you have already bore witness to." **Alpha Truth paused. **"And in many of these universes, their Earths are literally coming to an end. One way or another, these universes are dying, whether from war, famine, someone trying to gain power that is not theirs to hold, or just humans being too damn cocky and to sure of themselves." **The two Truths shared a mutual chuckle at this, knowing the last statement to be to true, and the reason that most worlds were dying. **"Somehow, the world you know most is in the best shape at the moment."**

And that was saying something.

"**And He wants you to go to one of these universes and help end this. Divine Intervention, he called it." **Alpha Truth continued.

"**I thought He was against meddling in the affairs of mortals, especially something of this caliber." **Beta muttered to himself. Forgiving humans of their sins or a few acts here and there was one thing, but to send a Gatekeeper – and the Beta Truth, no less! – to a world just seemed like…overkill. **"Is it really that bad?" **Beta found himself asking quietly.

"**It's worse." **Alpha Truth muttered. **"He wishes to send out the Gatekeepers with a corporeal form – face it, you tangible types can make a much bigger impact on the world than we intangible ones can – to the universes that are in the most threat of being destroyed, and work backwards from there. You're one of the ones chosen, obviously."**

"**All those with a corporeal body?" **Beta gave a humorless snort. **"How many would that make, four?"**

"**Three, actually. Counting you." **Alpha Truth then snickered. **"He will have the incorporeal Gatekeepers working on separate jobs instead of their usual ones. He feels that their abilities can be used in different situations."**

"**And you, Alpha Truth?" **Beta asked, still not looking away from the Gate that he stared at for eternity.

"**Hey, somebody's got to stay at their Gate to make sure that any humans that want to stray too close to the territory of God learn that such a feat is not a wise one." **Alpha Truth responded evenly, the shadows on his 'shoulders' shortening and then lengthening again, giving the impression of shrugging.

"…**one cannot go against His orders. At least, a Gatekeeper cannot…which world do I leave for, and when?" **Asking for a time was redundant, really. Time was _literally _irrelevant for the two in the vast plane of nothingness.

"**Come with me, Beta." **Alpha Truth said, his grin vanishing from his face as he grew somber. He turned as a Gate materialized out of the nothingness, this doorway being about seven feet tall, made of solid oak with carvings of other doorways set into its surface. Why Beta never kept this door as a permanent one in his domain was a mystery to all but Him, even Alpha Truth. But the two Gatekeepers departed through the double doors nonetheless, ending up in a hall that seemed endless, going on for an eternity, different double doors spotting the walls every five feet or so. And so Alpha Truth and Beta moved on down the hall, sliding past other beings that were headed in the opposite direction. Some looked like Beta – having their own individual look, and being completely solid, some having blue eyes and blonde hair, or green eyes and black here; the combinations were endless, one being even having violet eyes with golden pupils, and orange hair – while others looked like Alpha Truth, being composed by nothing, outlines of different colors surrounding their being to give them color.

To make passing all of these beings easier, Alpha Truth and the other Incorporeal Gatekeepers shifted their bodies into whatever animal they saw fit; Alpha Truth himself became a large snake-like creature, the animals head easily bigger than Beta's fist. The other Gatekeepers that they passed nodded their respect to the two highest-ranking Dwellers, having their nods of respect returned within seconds. A few Gatekeepers – usually the younger ones – were stopped in the wide hall, conversing amongst themselves, the Corporeal ones knowing that they wouldn't see their friends for possible quite some time.

The doors they passed all looked different, not one looking exactly alike. Even if one door was completely black like another one, one would have some slight difference, like chipped paint, or a slight crack. Damaged doors like these were the ones that needed the most attention, the reason that the Gatekeepers were being moved, for the first time, from the Gates that were their responsibility. Every so often, a door would pop up out of random, pushing side the two doors that would now be its neighbors; a new universe was being born. Sometimes, the door to the realm of a Gatekeeper would be seen set between a few universe doors, standing taller and prouder over the doors that simply showed the way to a new world.

_**Every choice makes a difference. **_Beta thought, looking about as new doors popped up every few minutes. _**Even the choice of whether a little girl should have chocolate chip cookies or peanut butter cookies could create an entirely new universe, the time line of this new universe completely branching away because of this simple choice. **_Beta gave a quiet snort of humor, making Alpha Truth look over at him, the snake-like being somehow managing to convey the feeling of a raised eyebrow. **"Nothing comes without a price." **Beta said to snuff out Alpha Truth's confusion as he motioned to a door that had peeling paint, scratches up and down its surface; one of the worlds that needed Divine Intervention. **"One choice of a deranged father beating and killing his entire family…" **He thought out loud as he stopped before the door. **"…one choice, made by one man out of billions of humans…and now that world has branched so far off from its peaceful cousin-" **He motioned to the door directly next to the one in poor shape, one that looked almost the exact same, but with almost no wear-and-tear **"-to be in such disarray that they would need Divine Intervention." **Alpha Truth chuckled as he turned to face forward once more, his nonexistent eyes roving over the doors to find the one that Beta was assigned to.

"**Nothing without a price…Equivalent Exchange, huh? Still stuck on that?" **Alpha Truth inquired.

"**Yes." **Was Beta's short and tight answer. **"But this is going past Equivalent Exchange. An entire world should not be killed because one man was born with a mental instability, and because the human race was to blind to notice that he was dangerous."**

"**But you're missing the thing that fulfills the Exchange."**

"**And what would that be, Alpha Truth?"**

"**You." **Beta stared at the back of the snakes head, before shaking his head with a sigh.

"**Myself being payment for a mistake…why do I feel like this is something that keeps repeating itself?" **Snorted Beta.

"**What can I say, kid, it's your calling." **Beta's golden eyebrow twitched at the word 'kid' – his age far surpassed that of a kid, hell, it surpassed that of someone who's entered the qualifications of 'geriatric' – but he let it go, snuffing the annoying, very human feelings out. **"Well, here we are." **Alpha Truth stopped before a grand door, the door being made out of…

"**Rice paper." **Beta dully stated, staring at the door before him. He looked to Alpha Truth, the being back in the shape of a young human, a giant grin on his face. **"Why do I have a feeling you're messing with me?"**

"**It's the door you were assigned to!" **Alpha Truth tried to defend himself, holding up his hands as if to ward off a blow. Beta's eyes narrowed, but like the 'kid' comment, he let it go. As his superior, Alpha Truth probably assigned him to this strange door just _to _mess with him. Doors that had an unnatural shape _always _had some surprise waiting on the other side, and contrary to belief, the Gatekeepers didn't always know what resided on another side of a Gate.

The Gate itself looked to have to layers. The first and front-most layer was simply made out of wood, with wooden bars at the top that showed the second layer of the gate. This layer looked like rice paper stretched over thin wooden strips, like canvas paper being prepared to be decorated by some artist.

"**And you're positive this is my Gate." **Beta said in more of a statement than a question; he knew it was, Alpha Truth rarely ever made mistakes, and those mistakes were even more rare when it had something to do with orders handed down to him directly from Him.

"**As positive as I am positive on the matter." **Alpha Truth said, his grin stretching wider. Beta sighed. He should have known better than ask Alpha Truth a question like that. His superior _always_found a way to twist around his answers so that no answer was really conveyed at all. Really, it was like asking what day of the week it was, and getting the answer 'I have sand in my shoe' as an answer.

Really, no help at all.

Willing the door to open, the first layer slid to the side, one door of the front-most layer actually _falling right off its hinges, _making Alpha Truth jump back to avoid being crushed. Though, really, he didn't have to, it would have gone right through him.

Maybe.

Beta almost allowed himself to sweat-drop and face-palm at the same time, but refrained from doing so. Not only did the first layer spontaneously lose a door, but the back layer was in horrible shape, the wooden structure of the circular Gate being shattered or extremely worn out, and the rice paper sporting many holes, as if a moody horse had kicked right through the thing.

"**And I'm supposed to fix **_**that?"**_ Beta asked, his voice still emotionless even though Alpha Truth could feel his annoyance. The second layer slid open to reveal a stark glowing nothingness.

"**The rate this world is deteriorating, it will completely end within a year's time. You need to complete your mission before then." **Alpha Truth didn't need to tell Beta what would happen if he failed; being responsible for the death of an entire world was just one of the worse things that could come to pass if Beta failed. And one thing Beta _didn't _want to have is the reputation of a 'Weakling Who Couldn't Even Save a Few Humans.' He would _never _hear the end of it from the newer Gatekeepers if this was the case.

And without another word, Beta strode through the Gate, the doors – or, what remained of them considering one still lay prone on the floor – snapping shut behind him. A light glow surrounded the door, signifying that a Gatekeeper was in the process of righting the wrong in that particular universe. Alpha Truth sighed, shaking his head as the shadows around his body molded his body back into the form of a snake. He turned away, and slithered down the hall full of Gatekeepers on their way to make sure their assigned universe didn't kill itself.

"**Let the healing process begin."**

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><p>…and that's the prologue. I guess…so, what do yah think? Like it, love it, hate it? Does it show promise, like, at all?<p>

_**ATTENTION READERS OF 'VULPES ALVEUS'! **_**Okay, so good news, I ain't dead. Bad news…well…it's not bad news, per say, but not very good news either. I'm in the process of writing the next chapter of Vulpes Alveus, and plan to have it up REALLY soon…but I've hit a wall. I HAVE TO MANY PEOPLE TO INTRODUCE IN SUCH LITTLE TIME! Seriously, I have to make it all feel natural, not like sir pissy-Vulpes sees a new guy and goes OOC("OOOH! NEW GUY! BE MY FRIEND!") That'd be to…unrealistic.**

**Yeah, unrealistic in a world like THAT.**

**And Ichigo, Gaara, Rukia and the others can only put off going to Hueco Mundo to kick some ass for so long. So I'm trying to find a way to cram in ALL the new guys without making it feel like that's what I'm doing.**

**In other words, it might take a little bit longer to bust through the wall. I'd like to thank you for your patience though, considering everything. If you guys have anything complaints, questions, or anything to say in general about Vulpes Alveus, send me a PM or something, 'kay?**

_**~ Kitsune-242**_


	2. Chapter 1: Look, a Bleeding Guy

Disclaimer: I don't own FMA or Bleach…I'm still eating candy canes…8D And my tongue is now BLEEDING!

Oh, and for the first reviewer(last time I checked there was one review already, don't know about after that), I'd like to thank you for the first review! But…unless my computer has gone all screwy, then this reviewer wrote no name, just one long space. So, thank you for the first review, ! (Incase fanfiction deleted what's between the ',' and the '!', then it's a REALLY long space.)

…ugh…sugar rush just ended and I feel like I got hit in the head with a BRICK.

…I need to eat more candy canes…

Edit: I've been sitting here for twenty-or-so minutes, staring at the screen with just 'Chapter 1' written on my opened document. I can't think of a chapter title…I should move on and just come back to it…and I have no idea why I'm telling you all this.

**EDIT 2: I RE-WROTE THIS CHAPTER, OR, AT LEAST, THE SECOND HALF. I GOT A NEW IDEA FOR THE STORY, AND DECIDED TO TAKE IT IN THAT DIRECTION INSTEAD OF THE OTHER ONE. IF YOU READ THE ORIGIANL CHAPTER 1, PLEASE READ THIS ONE SO YOU KNOW WHAT THE HELL IS GOING ON.**

**Thank you. :3**

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><p><strong>Chapter 1<br>Look, a Bleeding Guy**

A large set of double doors appeared out of thin air, the doors twelve feet tall and black, thin lines of red like veins breaking apart the black. The red lines glowed, making the door almost look like the cooling surface of lava, with the delicate crust on top, and the glowing physical manifestation of heat underneath. These doors that appeared out of nowhere swung open slowly on hinges that were as old as their immediate master, creaking so quietly it was almost silent. The other side of this doorway was a blank white. Nothing.

Nothing at all.

And out of this nothing stepped what _looked _to be a young boy.

To any passerby, it would look like a young teen that was short for his age simply walked out of a doorway. After all, he wasn't dressed too strangely. Black hoodie that was zipped up, and black pants that were tucked into black combat boots with blood-red soles. Strung through the loops in his pants was a blood-red belt. The only thing that really broke up the blackness that made up the boy was his Caucasian skin, golden eyes with the black sclera, the golden hair pulled into a ponytail at the base of his neck, and the white gloves that he wore on his hands, never taking off for any occasion.

The boy frowned his nose wrinkling at the horrid smell that hit him like a brick to the mouth. Tar, traffic, gasoline, people, animals, fast food restaurants…sometimes, he really wondered why He loved these places so much. The world that humans had been given was almost always ruined by their medaling, by them trying to explain that which shouldn't be, by people trying to take over the role of God. And that irked him, it was one of the only things that did.

Humans had been given such a great gift, and they overlooked it every day that they existed.

They really didn't know what they had been given. Life, emotions, the entire _Earth_, and yet people complained, pissing and moaning about small things like that they didn't get the shirt that they wanted for their birthday.

And really, it sickened him.

Sure, some humans were fine, but a lot of humans…well, there was a reason he hated going to universes, leaving his Gate Realm.

Before he left the alley, the boy lifted the black hood of his jacket over his head, the hood casting his eyes into shadows, pure golden orbs shining through the darkness. He shoved his gloved hands in his pockets, and moved into the streets, fading into the masses, being absorbed into the chaos that was the city he was in, wherever he was. He knew he could find out in a split second, but he didn't want to. He remembered what Alpha Truth had told him before he had stolen away through the Gate to this universe. It wasn't something that had been spoken out loud, but something that his higher-up had told him through a mental link that all Gatekeepers could access.

'_**Don't screw up. Don't forget **_**who **_**and **_**what **_**you are. Don't let anybody know who doesn't need to know. And don't get attached.'**_

There was no chance of any of those things happening. Saving a world from however humans had screwed up wouldn't be easy to mess up himself. After all, he had a year to do it. Why would he forget about who and what he was? He was Beta Truth, Guardian of the Gates, Servant to Him. And why would he let anybody know, at least those who he knew didn't need to? If people knew that there was something like that beyond death, then many people who wanted power would want to die for all the wrong reasons. And wouldn't they be surprised when they popped up in in…well, wherever dead humans went. He never actually thought about it, and didn't really want too. Either way, humans couldn't just die and become an all-powerful Gatekeeper. It just didn't work that way.

Beta Truth suddenly threw himself to a halt, the person behind him nearly slamming into his body before sidestepping and hurrying away. Why had the golden-haired Gatekeeper stopped without any warning whatsoever?

It was because he had no idea what the problem was with this Earth, besides the obvious problems. He couldn't go around, curing everything such as world hunger or every little war that was going on. Gatekeepers couldn't do everything. And Beta Truth couldn't just waltz around curing everything and anything he could until he was lucky and found the thing he needed to fix. What with the rumors that were spread by Gatekeepers that visited Earths often – the rumors that every Earth had trillions of problems that needed solving – he figured that if he tried that approach, then he'd not even get through half of the problems by the time his year was up.

He may be a being that never aged, but that didn't mean that a year felt like a day to him.

And he certainly didn't want to spend a year in the human realm, no matter which one it was.

_**There has to be a reason the Gate dropped be in this city…**_ Beta Truth thought as he continued walking, letting his feet carry him wherever they wished. _**The epicenter of the problem that is killing this Earth must be this city. So that narrows it down to just this area. Not a lot of world-threatening things could be going on here, so that narrows it down even further…so what could it be…**_ Nothing could ever be easy…

…but some things could come close.

And this was shown when something flew past him, chasing a small fleeing human girl, tears leaking out of her eyes and chain links clinking as they bounced against her chest. The thing that flew past him turned out to be a…a…

…_**is that a chimera?**_ Beta Truth thought, his face blank. The monster was huge, as big as an African Elephant. It had the body of a grizzly bear, the fur a greenish black. The monster's claws were as big as Beta Truth was himself, and the bear-like monster had the tail that looked like it belonged to an alligator. Over the monster's head was a white mask, blood-red eyes shining through the eyeholes. And through this monsters chest, was a massive hole, leading from front to back.

Beta Truth reached out with his mind, the word of the creature before him flooding into his mind. _**Hollow. **_The voice whispered. _**So not a chimera…**_ Beta Truth would say that it wasn't his problem, and wouldn't give it a second thought. But this…Hollow…it was unnatural, something he'd only heard about from a fellow Gatekeeper, one that became a Gatekeeper around a century prior to the start of the Divine Intervention. And when that Gatekeeper had told him about monsters that looked like this one…well, Beta Truth had completely written it off, thinking it to be some myth or legend from whatever universe that Gatekeeper had hailed from. But now…

If this was something that he only heard about from one person, coming from only _this _universe, then this was probably connected to why this universe was dying. That, or this thought was completely misguided, and he was about to interfere with something that he didn't need to worry about.

The Hollow had the little weeping girl cornered, her back up against a tree, the massive beast staring at her with hungry eyes, saliva dripping from long, needle-like fangs. **"A fresh soul, ripe for the taking!"** The Hollow cackled, its voice echoing and deep, as if some man was screaming up from the bottom of a well. With a roar, the Hollow lunged forward, mouth gaping, claws reaching. And as the little girl covered her eyes and screamed in fright…

…the Hollow unceremoniously was smashed out of the way by an invisible force, the mask on the right cheek of the monster shattering upon unseen-impact.

Beta Truth stalked forward, his golden eyes holding an unnatural light, his golden eyebrows lowered in a glare. His hood was lowered, his gloved hands tightened into fists. **"What, pray tell, do you think you are doing?" **The black-and-red-clad Gatekeeper asked, stopping a few feet away from the fallen Hollow and crossing his arms.

"**Soul Reaper?"** The Hollow asked out loud, pushing itself slowly to his paws. **"No…you don't have the feeling of a Soul Reaper…which means…"** The Hollow lunged, completely forgetting about the little girl with the chain in her chest who was slipping away unnoticed. **"…A TASTY SOUL!"** Beta Truth snorted, shaking his head. Did this beast have a one-track mind?

…probably.

Once the Hollow was within punching distance…Beta Truth sat down on the ground, crossing his legs under his body, rolling his eyes as the Hollow flew over his head with centimeters to spare. The ground shook with the collision, and Beta Truth lazily looked over his shoulder. If this was _really _what was killing the world, then this universe's humans were more pathetic than he thought.

But the Hollow was up within seconds, throwing itself at Beta Truth again with increased speed. As Beta Truth leapt ten feet in the air to back-flip over the outstretched paw, he mentally sighed. So _maybe _the humans weren't _totally _pathetic. If all Hollows were like this one, then the Hollows could possible fool the humans into thinking they had given up, and then attacking when they least expected it. And if they all recovered from hitting the ground head-first as fast as the bear-like one before him, then they _might _be able to attack a human before the mortal even knew what was happening.

But Beta Truth was _not _human, and he did _not _want to stay here until some foolish human came wandering to see what was happening, what was making the loud roars of the monster. So as he flipped over the paw of the monster, he willed his body to shift towards the head of the beast. Placing his right hand on the forehead, Beta Truth opened up a gate right in the center of the skull of the beast, the displacement coming from the gate blowing apart the head of the Hollow. As the blown-apart Hollow disintegrated, Beta Truth landed on the ground lazily, his legs bending slightly to absorb the impact. He frowned, staring at the black, oily blood that dripped down his fingers and hands.

_**Looks like I am in need of new gloves. Again**_. He grumbled in his mind, shaking his head. He swiped his hands on his hoodie, trying to get rid of the incessant blood. But it stayed, and he sighed. Pulling his hood back over his head, be shoved his hands in his pockets to hide the blood, and made a move to walk away. At least, he _would _have walked away, if a siren hadn't suddenly ripped through the air, coming closer and closer at insane speeds.

Beta Truth cursed, glowering at the entrance to the park as alternating, flashing red and blue lights suddenly appeared, tattooing the buildings across the road with lights that blended together to make some annoying shade of violet.

So this universe's law enforcement had finally arrived. What were his options?

Run. Like hell. _Really _fast. Pros: If he got away, then no problem. Cons: If he got caught, his mission would be set back even further; he _really _wasn't supposed to let anybody know that he wasn't normal, at least, those who didn't have to know, and the normal branches of law enforcement weren't exactly on his list of 'must tell' humans.

Stay and see what happens. Pros: …well, he _might _get some answers or important information. _Might_. Cons: Revisit the cons for the running option.

Go back through his gate and wait it out. Pros: He'd get away. Cons: He'd get labeled as a wimp. Not gonna happen.

Hide. Pros: Get away without being blamed for anything, and possibly getting information. Cons: Who knew how long he'd be hiding?

Deciding hiding was probably his best option, Beta Truth calmly leapt into a tall pine tree, reclining on a branch that he knew could hold his weight without problem. The thick, wide branches hid him from view, the crisscrossing pine needles providing excellent cover. So Beta Truth sat back, watching the baffled police try to figure out why a sewer line had spontaneously exploded in the middle of the night.

After a while, their confusion just got plain boring. And that was saying something, since Beta Truth found the incompetence of humans _hysterical_. What Gatekeeper wouldn't(that'd be most of them.)? So to solve his complete boredom, considering he really couldn't _go _anywhere yet as the Hollow was his only actual lead, Beta Truth tilted his head back, resting his head against the bark of the tree behind him. His eyelids slid over his black and golden eyes, mentally going through all the information he had on his current mission.

Which, really, wasn't much.

1, The world is going to end, 2, He needs to stop it, and 3, Hollow.

That's it.

Man, was _he _screwed.

_**:::The Next Morning:::**_

Beta Truth – having gotten bored of thinking through every word in the Korean language, and reciting their definitions in four different languages – English, Arabic, Chinese, and Russian – opened his eyes, the sudden brightness compared to the darkness of the night that had he had seen last before closing his eyes burning horribly. He growled, bringing a gloved hand to shade his eyes, looking down to the distant ground. There were only a few cops left, guarding the entrance to the park and stealing occasional glances to where the flailing Hollow had created trenches with its claws.

_**Looks like I ignored them into leaving. **_Beta Truth sarcastically remarked, using his right arm to help pull himself to his feet. He groaned quietly, using his free left hand to rub at his right shoulder. His right shoulder and left leg ached. _**Storm today…swell. **_For a moment, Beta Truth contemplated going back through his Gate, and waiting for the storm to pass before coming back.

But then he'd be a procrastinator, and Alpha Truth had _always _made fun of Beta Truth, saying that he'd become a procrastinator.

He hated it when Alpha Truth was right, and as such, he'd stick out the storm. No matter how much his shoulder and leg hurt.

He walked at random, not really showing any planned direction, his left hand sometimes coming up to rub at his right shoulder.

After a few hours of this, be became increasingly bored.

Seriously, how hard could it be to find something that was going to destroy this entire frickin' universe? Apparently _really _hard, considering Beta Truth didn't even had a lead yet, aside from the Hollow earlier.

But then again, maybe what was going to destroy this place was something big, flashy, and fast, like a giant meteor committing suicide by flinging itself face-first into a planet. That's what some people thought killed the dinosaurs, right?

_**Man, if only they **_**knew**_**. **_Beta Truth couldn't help but snort; after all, there _were _some perks to being one of the two Truths.

Wandering for hours finally made Beta Truth's boredom boil over, resulting in him doing something he didn't think he'd actually end up doing on any Earth, let alone in public. He began to fiddle with red lightning in the dimming evening light, the glow casting eerie shadows over his face, the crimson light turning reflecting off his sclera to give it a sickening dried blood look. And to add to this list of 'Things-I-Shouldn't-Do-In-Public', a list that Beta Truth just _knew _was going to keep growing, the Gatekeeper began to mess with his Plain Existence, meaning that he was flashing between invisible to the normal human eye, and visible. Every time he turned 'invisible', though, was actually just him messing with his body's composition to make it so that his body went from existing on the Plain that living humans existed on to the Plain that the spirits of humans existed on(Beta Truth had learned early on to _never _question how many Plains there were, lest he get a very large migraine).

Really, he shouldn't be doing that, but who would ever try to approach him on the things he wasn't supposed to be doing? Besides Alpha Truth…and the Archangels...and Him...and…oh crap…

"**Hindsight's a bitch." **Beta Truth dryly commented, dragging his finger across the red light he was manipulating, smoothing out the back of the three-headed creature he was sculpting.

"Ain't that the truth…" Muttered a quiet voice that sounded down-right pathetic to Beta Truth's ears. But still, it was a tone that he had heard many times, one that he had – no, bad thoughts, don't think about that time! He beat back those thoughts were a hammer. A big hammer. A big _heavy _hammer.

Beta Truth really didn't know why he stopped, didn't know why he didn't just continue on, ignoring the person who had used the weak, resigned tone that had responded to his statement. But he just couldn't. Damn his hero-ish complex.

Beta Truth reluctantly turned to where the voice had originated, his blank eyes falling on the bleeding form of a young human male, fifteen-and-a-half at the most and just plain fifteen at the least. His hair was so dark black it had a blue sheen to it, and on the bridge of his nose rested a pair of glasses. He was leaning against a thick cement curb, his chin resting against his chest, his eyes dull with pain and exhaustion. This boy had obviously been fighting his body's want to fall into unconsciousness, a feeling that – at one point – Beta Truth had known all-too well.

Near the first human, not more than a four meters away, was another young teenaged male, dressed in some strange black garb. The boy's hair was almost as weird as the gold that Beta Truth's was made from; bright orange and spiked, the hair looking wild and untamed. A pool of crimson was gathering underneath the other boy, who had already lost the battle with unconsciousness.

These two humans, bloodied and near-death, didn't faze him in the slightest. He had just gone and played tag with a beast that he had thought to be myth only a few days ago, and had literally sucked the thing brain-first through a gate; two little humans on the verge of being lost to the mortal world forever wasn't to breath-taking.

The conscious boy's eyes slowly lifted to stare into the odd eyes of the Gatekeeper; either the boy had seen stranger human-like beings, was losing his ability of sight, or was just plain insane, because he didn't react to Beta Truth's eye color, or any part of the Second Truth, actually. Beta Truth voted that it was the second option. "Please…bring us…to…Urahara Shoten…" He breathed, his eyes getting dimmer by the second. "He can…help." Beta Truth snorted; he could help, too, but the question was _would _he? Beta Truth was about the turn around to walk away, leave the two to die, when he twitched, some…feeling…jabbing at him. His eyes darted over to the orange-haired, unconscious teen human. There, that's where it had come from. The boy's spirit, already almost gone, clinging to life, had suddenly thrown out of a wave of power, desperately trying to cling to the body. Beta Truth could practically see the boy's soul clinging for dear life to the strangely-dressed human. The reason that this _really _intrigued Beta Truth?

The power had felt similar to that of the Hollow.

Very different, of course, but still, at the base, it was something that had felt almost exactly like the baseline of the Hollow's power. So…these two were connected to Hollows…somehow. Whatever. Maybe they _were _useful.

"**I will help."** Beta Truth finally said, the other boy's brain not even acknowledging the way the Gatekeeper's voice echoed. **"If you have something to trade." **He may be on another Earth were Equivalent Exchange meant close to nothing, but he was a Gatekeeper first and foremost, and one of the only two Truths, so he'd be a…a…a _human _if he was to turn his back on one of the principles he held so dear. **"I shall help you, and your friend over there…in exchange for information on 'Hollows', and whatever your little friend is." **The other boy's eyes held a glassy look, like he wasn't all really there anymore.

"D-deal." He managed to stutter out, before his loss of blood, exhaustion, and pain finally overwhelmed him, and he sunk into peaceful oblivion. Beta Truth sighed, the deal that the two had made silently sealing itself; it couldn't be taken back now, not unless everything paid was returned, and the two parties agreed fully.

He moved to the teen that was in worse condition, the one dressed like some medieval samurai – a samurai who clutched the hilt of a broken but once-massive sword – and knelt by him, flipping him over to see the extent of his injuries; at least, the ones on the surface. Beta Truth nearly cringed at the deep, long slash that carved its way through the human's body. That _really _had to hurt. While whatever that had tried to rip him in two had failed, massive damaged had been dealt, both with the deep slash, and the organs that were nearly hacked in the process. Yes, this boy was definitely worse off.

Beta Truth paused, wondering what the best course of action would be. After flying through about twenty different approaches to this, he finally went with the one that made the most sense. He pictured a complex circle in his mind, lines running through it, runes wrapping around it, shapes inside. The circle was reflected in his right eye, his left eye closing upon reflex as that iris turned black, his iris fading to match his sclera and pupil to make a completely black eye. Thankfully, this only happened with his left eye; the entire reason he closed his left eye while doing something of this nature was because, as the circle appeared in his right eye, his right eye's vision became more sharp, but in return, his left eye lost all vision completely, becoming more or less dead in its socket. Sure, it was pretty annoying, but considering this was the way that he could amplify the power that only he had – no other Gatekeeper could copy him with this ability – so that he could use his power on an object without having to actually _touch _it, it was a necessary sacrifice.

Now was not the time to wonder about his random ability, though, as he concentrated on the injuries and energy of the teen before him. With that single circle reflected in his right eye, the human's injuries were stitched closed, strings of flesh reforming to pull the gash closed, and to fix bones and organs. The tether that held the soul to the body, more or less, got spiritually duct-taped by Beta Truth's power. Energy flooded back into the boy's body, making his breathing return to a normal rate, and making his normal color return to his skin.

After knowing that this boy _wasn't _about to fall face-first off the cliff known as life, Beta Truth stood and walked over to the other boy, doing the same for him, expect the spiritual-tape thing; this boy was torn up too – not as bad as the other, mind you – but his soul hadn't been about to fly away from his body forever.

So Beta Truth stood, looking at the two that he now had to drag all the way to Urahara Shoten. He sighed, shaking his head. Hopefully the teen actually _had _answers, and he hadn't just answer positively in his delirious and confused state, his subconscious throwing out the answer that it knew would benefit the boy the most. The Gatekeeper paused suddenly as his eyes returned to normal, his left eye flying open to match the wide size of his right eye. His jaw worked up and down, no sound coming from his throat as he noticed something terrible, and quite annoying.

Where was Urahara Shoten?

"**SON OF A **_**BITCH!**_**"**

* * *

><p>…<strong>I'm sorry I changed the plot-line…well, not really! All I did was set the story back, rewind the Bleach timeline from the Arrancar line to the Rescue Rukia arc. Reason? Because!<strong>

**No, seriously. I went over what I wanted to happen with Beta Truth in this story, the first in a series of Gatekeepers, and I realized that I just **_**couldn't **_**squeeze all of it in between the Arrancars showing up and Aizen being put in his little butterfly condom-shaped place. It would be to rushed, so I decided to lengthen it. You should be happy, more Gatekeeper in the Bleachverse! **

**Got questions? TO BAD. Jus' kiddin'. If you have a question, drop me a PM or a ask in a review or something. Or don't. Y'know, whatever. By the time I put this up, I've either already started on Chapter 2, or it's already done. If it's choice one, be patient. Choice two, it'll be up within a few hours. M'kay? M'kay. It's 3:50 on a school night(or, er, morning. Whatever.) So I'm gonna take a nappypoo. Nighty night!**

**~Kitsune-242**

**P.S. Gosh, I love Mountain Dew, but right now, it's working against me! **


	3. Chapter 2: Too Exchange a Lifetime

**Disclaimer: And I am OFFICIALLY the most idiotic person in the entire universe. I SHOULD be working on the four lessons of Algebra 2 homework that I have – that are due tomorrow morning – but no, I'm doing this.**

**…curse my homework procrastination.**

**If I owned FMA, Hughes wouldn't have died, Mustang would be in it more, Ed would break his Automail more, and Ed would ACTUALLY BE A GATEKEEPER. And if I owned Bleach…well, then Bleach and Fullmetal Alchemist(which, if I owned would probably be called Gatekeeper) would have already had a series crossover on the TV. Plus, I'm American, I don't live in Japan. So, duh, I don't own two of the best anime in the UNIVERSE(S)!**

**EDIT: If you read the original chapter one, go back and reread it from the middle on, 'cause I fixed it to fit this timeline more. If you don't...I WARNED YOU, DAMMIT, GO READ IT. See, THIS is why people need to pay attention to Authors Notes! 8| (Nobody ever does, and then I get PMs that say that they have no idea what's going on. Grrrr. Aggravation!) **

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 2<br>Too Trade a Lifetime**

_**:::Universe 46302, Terra Firma, Japan, Karakura, Some Random Street That's Pissing Beta Truth OFF:::**_

And it was true.

Once again, Beta Truth couldn't help but wonder how _he _had been the unlucky Gatekeeper to be assigned to a universe that nobody had really gathered information on. Why couldn't the Gatekeeper that actually _came _from this universe be the one to come? He'd know his way around, and he wouldn't be stuck wandering the streets of some stupid human city, lugging around two unconscious bodies in the dawn light.

'_**Find Urahara Shoten'. Sounded easy enough. Pff. **_Beta Truth snorted as he stopped at a street corner, pausing to set down the body of the glasses-wearing human to adjust the orange-haired human that was tied to his back. Soon the day would begin, and humans would flood the street.

The last thing Beta Truth needed was to be caught carrying around two 'stiffs'. Though, he guessed that the black-clad one on his back wouldn't be visible. Call it a Truth hunch. But the one that he carried bridal style was completely visible, and would end in Beta Truth's mission being set back because he could find ONE DAMN STORE OUT OF THE ENTIRE TOWN.

Mentally flipping Alpha Truth the bird, Beta Truth turned down an alley, one of the only ones he hadn't checked throughout the entire city. He stopped, his eyebrows falling into a glare as his dual-colored eyes stared holes into the walls of a small 'shack' with the sign of 'Urahara Shoten' displayed proudly at the front. Beta Truth looked over his shoulder, and with the mental map of the city he had created, traced the path back to where he had found the two human males. A grand total of twenty feet, once he left the alley.

He cursed rather loudly. Of _course _it was his luck to go the complete opposite direction of the required one, and of _course _he searched the entire city before checking this one small alley that he had literally stood right next to before starting his little quest.

Was unguaranteed information _really _worth all this trouble?

Well, he couldn't go back in time now, so to Hell with it(really, if the 'end of this universe' circumstance had been any different, he _could _have just gone back in time, but there were rules to missions like this one, and time-travel was, apparently, a big no-no).

He stormed forward, throwing at swear after swear, and practically kicked the door right off of its hinges as he stormed inside. The man sitting in the back of the room, past the shelves lined with – was that a candy dispenser in the shape of a duck? – random goods, looked up from underneath the brim of his green-and-white-striped bucket-hat, his cool eyes wide with surprise, the paper fan he had been waving about like it was a fighter jet stopping in mid-imaginary-assault. His eyes met Beta Truth's, and Beta Truth – not one to _ever _lose a staring contest(he had once held a no-blinking staring contest with Alpha Truth for three straight years. It took him that long to realize Alpha Truth didn't have any eyes. Beta Truth still won.) – stared right back, his intense glare never wavering.

"**You just **_**had **_**to put your shop in the back of an alley, didn't you?" **The Gatekeeper finally broke the silence, the man jumping in surprise at the echo that layered the "teen's" voice. He unceremoniously dumped the glasses-wearing teen onto the floor. With a small flash of red lightning that wasn't noticed, part of the rope that tied the orange-haired boy to Beta Truth's back was deconstructed, the rope – and the boy – falling to the ground in a heavy thud. While the boy that Beta Truth had carried bridal style had stayed silent when he hit the ground, the strangely-haired one had grunted, his face screwing up in a wince.

So the Gatekeeper wasn't that good at healing internal injuries. Whatever.

"**Here." **Beta Truth deadpanned as the two dropped to the floor. **"Delivery." **He sarcastically quipped, turning about on a heel and a toe in an about-face of a seasoned military officer—shut up, you're not in the military. And yes, he had to remind himself that. Stupid random military knowledge. Stupid side-missions that shouldn't concern him.

"…what?"

…stupid man.

Holding him up like that, who did the man think he was? So what if he was totally baffled by the strange-looking "human" that had showed up with a living delivery. Beta Truth looked to the two teens he had dropped off. Okay, _maybe _living. Beta Truth suddenly paused as a nagging feeling entered his head. The same one that he got whenever he had a price to collect from an Exchange.

…oh, yeah. Right. Beta Truth turned around, his eyebrows lowered in a slight scowl. He _really _hadn't thought this one through too much; now he was going to be put back even _more _on his mission, all because of information that _might not flippin' exist. _Fantastic. **"Your little teenaged son here-" **He jabbed Glasses in the side with his toe **"-was bleeding out in the street with his friend." **Glasses and Orange were obviously not brothers; looked nothing alike, absolutely no similarities.** "He traded information on Hollows and whatever he is-" **Now he kicked Orange "**-for their return to your shop. I was in a gracious mood; took away their more serious injuries…though, you may want to check them for internal ones." **Really, he was never good at those. Finally, the man actually said more than one word.

"…he…he's not my son." Beta Truth shrugged. He didn't really care. "And…what happened to them?" Now the man's eyes narrowed, suspicion lurking in the depths.

"**If you think I'm the one who did this, then you're wrong." **Beta Truth said in a clipped tone. **"I found them like this when I was walking the streets. Whatever happened to them, ask when they wake up." **The Gatekeeper crossed his arms, daring the man to accuse him in poorly-veiled words again.** "Now, will you give me my information, or…" **Beta Truth held his left hand out, palm facing the ground, over Orange's chest. The boy grunted in pain as the slash in his chest – the one that Beta Truth had closed earlier on – began to open up once more, blood bubbling out so fast that the liquid of life was still a purplish-blue. **"…will I have to take back my part of the deal?" **The man scowled. Apparently he didn't like getting strong-armed. Well, that was something the two had in common.

"What if I don't know anything?" The man asked. Beta Truth grinned, his shark-like teeth with the wolfish canines flashing in the dim light of the dawn. He increased the energy, the gash opening faster, the affected boy's breathing coming faster.

"**Well, wouldn't **_**that **_**be disappointing?"** Beta Truth asked, inflection making his voice jump on the 'that'. The man frowned, but sighed.

"Fine. Just…stop." He said. Beta Truth snorted, but closed his open palm into a fist. The blood that had begun to pool on the floor crawled back up into the wound, going back into the veins that they were supposed to pump through. The wound stitched itself back up, the once-injured boy returning to his calm state. Beta Truth locked eyes with the man. "What do you want to know?"

_**:A Few Hours Later…:**_

Beta Truth – or Truth, as the Gatekeeper had told the man known as Urahara to call him, for it was shorter and much simpler – had given the blonde-haired shop owner much to think about. He had always thought that there _was _no place known as 'Heaven'. Hell, of course, the place reserved for the worst of Hollows. But beyond that…Soul Society and Hueco Mundo, that was it.

And to learn about the existence of Gatekeepers? Even more shocking.

After Urahara had explained the basics of Hollows and Soul Reapers to Truth, and had explained what this world knew of the afterlife, Urahara had managed to coax the answers he wanted out of Truth.

_:Flashback:_

"_**You wish for me to give you information on myself. For free."**_ _Truth just stared, his face blank. This expression was almost as creepy to Urahara as the sadistic grin that the Keeper had worn about an hour beforehand. He swallowed, and nodded, wondering if that was possibly the most idiotic move he had done in his entire life. __**"You're lucky I'm in a generous mood, Urahara Kisuke. If I was not, you would most likely have been killed by now just because of you asking something as absurd as that."**__ He paused. __**"Shoot."**__ He suddenly ordered, leaning back against the wall behind him, his arms crossing over his chest._

"_Okay…who are you?"_

"_**Always the most interesting question…I am All. I am One, I am the Universe, I am Reality. I am the Truth, I am the Lies. I am Nobody, and I am You. Does that answer your question?" **__Truth asked. Urahara slowly shook his head. __**"Figures, it never does. Got those lines from an acquaintance of mine, you know. Added a few things. Took me a while to find out what the hell he was saying…I'm the Truth. A Gatekeeper. Most call me Beta Truth, but you can call me Truth. It's faster and easier."**_

"_Um…I'm not even going to bother with your first answer to the question…but what's a Gatekeeper?" Urahara asked, blinking innocently._

"_**The Gatekeepers." **__Truth snorted, for some reason finding it comical. Though, really, there wasn't anything funny about it. Maybe he was finally going senile. __**"We have had many names, recorded by those who have viewed us throughout history, letting them call us what they saw us as. Gatekeepers, Angels, Demons, Dwellers, Mutants, Guardians, Messengers…and those are only a few of them. We prefer Gatekeepers, though, because we guard the Gates, having our own individual Gates that are unique to their Keepers. Heaven, Hell, Death, Life…things along those lines."**_

"_If you're a Gatekeeper…then what exactly do _you _guard?" _

"_**The Truth."**_

"_The what-now?"_

"_**Am I not speaking your tongue? The Truth." **__Honestly, what was so difficult about that? __**"The Truth…it is arguably the most important Gate that's guarded by a Gatekeeper in the entire realm of Gatekeepers. So important, that the job could not be fulfilled by just one Gatekeeper, known as Truth. So a second Truth was born, making a grand total of two; and two it has stayed for millennia. Alpha Truth – the first Truth, and the first Gatekeeper – and Beta Truth; the second Truth, and the second Gatekeeper."**_

"_So…you were the second Gatekeeper…" A nod. "What is the Truth, exactly?" Truth chuckled._

"_**Exactly. What's the Truth? What's a lie, and what's real?" **__At Urahara's blank stare, The Gatekeeper sighed. __**"It's just the Truth. It's too hard to explain, especially to a human with limited knowledge."**__ Urahara ignored that one. He was a genius, dammit!_

"_Why, exactly, did you want to know what Hollows and Soul Reapers are? And as Truth, wouldn't you already know?" Truth sighed._

"_**You'd think I'd know, wouldn't you? After all, my Gate holds infinite knowledge. Unlike Alpha Truth, I don't just sit around and stare into my Gate for an eternity. Honestly, I could care less what's going on in the human universes, and yes, there are more than one universe. I heard about Hollows – or, at the very least, creatures that are very similar – from a fellow Gatekeeper, but I always thought that they were myths. Apparently, I was wrong. Being Truth doesn't mean that I know everything. And the reason I needed to know about Hollows and Soul Reapers is because this universe is coming to an end." **_

"_It's coming to an end?" Urahara's eyes narrowed. "So, what? You're here to collect the rest of the information for this world before leaving us to die?" _

"_**Opposite!" **__Truth declared. __**"Yes, I'm gathering information, but it's because I'm on a mission. There's an endless amount of universes, all made up from a different choice in anybody's life. If a little child wanted a glass of milk, there'd be four universes that would follow the outcome; one where they got it, one where they just didn't, one where they waited too long and the milk was taken, and one where the refrigerator bursts into flames. Each of these universes has the potential to completely and utterly…well, break itself."**__ Truth sighed heavily, shaking his head. __**"God doesn't want this to happen. He views humans as his greatest creation. He doesn't want to see universes die. So He is sending out Gatekeepers, like myself, to take care of the universes. Find what's destroying them, and fix it. Why He loves your flawed race so much, I never understand why.**_

"_**He's sending out the Corporeal Gatekeepers – as opposed to the Incorporeal Gatekeepers – to take care of these broken universes. Corporeal Gatekeepers have solid forms, such as myself. We can have a greater impact on the universe because we can actually touch it. Incorporeal Gatekeepers are staying back in the Gatekeeper's Realm to watch over the Gates, report ones that are fixed, and to make sure some foolish human doesn't start breaking everything in an already-fixed universe. Incorporeal Gatekeepers can't affect the human universes as much as Corporeal ones can. They're more of the 'stay in our realm' type of Gatekeepers since they can't really touch anything here. The plus side for them is that if they do come to a human universe, they can't get injured." **__Truth frowned. __**"Let me tell you, though, getting back on track. Your universe is in bad shape. When I was coming through the Gate to this universe, the door fell clean off."**__Oh, Truth prayed to his Father that that broken door wouldn't allow a human to accidently wander through some weakened barrier around the Gate to walk right into the Gatekeeper's Realm. _

_That wouldn't go over to well._

"_So…you're basically saying you're a supernatural assassin sent by God to fix whatever's destroying our world, and save us all." Urahara summed it up._

"_**We Gatekeepers prefer 'Divine Intervention'." **__He paused. __**"But yeah, pretty much. Unless what's destroying your universe is just the core of your planet going crazy. If that's what's happening, then I won't be assassinating anything. Assassinating a planet's core won't help anybody, I can tell you that."**__ And he would know. Past experience._

_That was the _last _time he was _ever _going to play an 'exploding' game blind with Alpha Truth. Ever._

_:Flashback:_

Really, Urahara had a lot to think about. Seriously. He had a Heavenly-ish being in the next room over, talking to a cat about the art of shape-shifting, as if it was the most natural thing in the world. Who _wouldn't _have a lot to think about?

And then there was the fact that Rukia had been kidnapped back to Soul Society. Uryu had woken up – he hadn't seen Truth, thank God. He didn't want to have to explain the being to the boy, especially since he just learned about him himself – and given a short summary over what happened. He had told Urahara that if he wanted the whole story, he'd have to ask Ichigo when the idiot finally woke up.

Apparently, Uryu didn't remember Truth.

That, or he thought it had all been a bad dream, and that Urahara had been the one to heal him.

When had Urahara's life gotten so freaking complicated?

Sometimes he really missed the days when his life was completely routine. Wake up, get kicked in the head by his Vice Captain, try to make something, blow up a building, go to Squad 4 for a XL-sized band aid, get somebody from the Kido Corps to fix said destroyed buildings, get kicked in the head by his Vice Captain for accidentally getting the building that held her room caught in the destruction, go to bed, repeat. Back then, everything he had grown up knowing had made sense.

Now, with the arrival of a single Gatekeeper, everything he'd known was thrown out a window, and nothing made even a glimmer of sense. Damn, he hated Mondays. Too bad it was actually a Thursday. See? The arrival of a Gatekeeper had made him completely discombobulated! He should go on strike! Strike against what, though, the Gatekeepers?

…and now he was rambling to himself.

Fantastic.

He honestly had no idea what he was to do. He couldn't even bring his mind into focus. What _was _he to do, though? On a similar note, God had thrown him a bone; a massive bone, with a few scraps of juicy meat clinging to the surface.

And, hey, now he could actually _use _that expression and _know there was a God. _Or THE God. Or…whatever. The Gatekeeper was making him talk in freaking circles!

But either way, he had just been handed something amazing. Whether it was a blessing or a curse, he didn't know. The third-highest ranking being in Heaven was sitting in the room over, his rank only underneath those of another Truth – this Truth Gatekeeper only higher in rank because he was older, or so Truth had claimed – and _Him_. This could work.

Or maybe not.

Urahara knew that Aizen wasn't done with whatever he started all those years ago. Of course he wasn't done! But maybe Urahara could help stop it, by sending an assassin. An assassin with creepy-ass eyes and a mouth full of teeth that should be in the jaws of the best predators of the oceans, not the mouth of some 'teenager'.

But Truth had also talked about Equivalent Exchange, and had said that it was something that he must strictly adhere to. He had healed – well, not completely, but good enough that they wouldn't die – and delivered Uryu and Ichigo to his shop in exchange for information. And he had been kind enough(it pained Urahara to know that if Truth hadn't wanted to explain anything to the blonde man, then he would have pretty much been powerless to make the being to otherwise) to tell Urahara what he wanted to know in exchange for virtually nothing.

But what would Truth take in exchange for going and killing a man? …he'd worry about that later. His first main concern was to help Ichigo regain his Soul Reaper powers. The boy, after being brought to the shop, had had to quickly be returned to his living body. He had lost his Soul Reaper powers, and since that made his soul the same as any other human's – with the ability to see souls still intact, of course – his soul had started to rip itself apart, for it had no chain to hold it to a body, and no body to keep it contained. So, now the orange-haired idiot was laying in another room, sleeping in his mortal body, and Urahara had to wait for him to wake up. Ichigo wouldn't let Rukia get killed, not without a fight that would leave him dead anyway. Pity that had almost happened…maybe he should train him so that _wouldn't _happen…

Truth suddenly walked into the room, the hood on his hoodie, having previously been down, now being pulled onto his head to cast his eyes into shadows. But still, Urahara knew the wolf-like eyes were staring at him, emotionless. **"Thank you for the information." **And that voice, it plain freaked Urahara out! Truth sounded like he had organized a world-wide flash-mob where the entire universe screamed out the same words at once. **"Good luck with whatever the hell you're trying to do here." **Urahara swore he heard Truth mutter 'You're going to need it' under his breath.

"Wait!" Urahara barked as Truth turned to leave. The Gatekeeper's hood twisted. Hopefully that meant that he was looking at Urahara. Either way, Truth had stopped moving. "…" Great, now what was he supposed to say? Hey, wanna stay here and become an assassin for me, for free? Yeah, that wouldn't go over to well, it'd probably just get Urahara killed! "…um…I could…um…use your help?" Truth snorted at the halting words.

"**Human matters do not concern me."**

"And yet you're here to save us from our world being destroyed. That seems like a human matter to me!"

"**Shut up." **The Gatekeeper grumbled, sounding, in all honestly, like an annoyed teenager. **"What is it you want help with, Urahara Kisuke?" **Demanded the short(**A/N: *GIGGLESNORT!***) Guardian.

"There is…a man…a _really bad _man, that I think might be tied in to the world ending. Might. I'm not entirely sure, but it's the first lead you've got, other than the Hollows." Truth wasn't moving yet. Was that a good sign? But Urahara knew nothing about Gatekeepers, so for all he knew, Truth could have just fallen asleep. While standing. Well, Gatekeepers weren't normal, so it was a possibility, right? "And he's a Soul Reaper. Remember how I told you that I used to be a Captain in Soul Society?" A nod. "Well, he's the reason I, along with the other Captains and Vice Captains I told you about, were chased away, the reason we're hiding. He was…after something…something that has the potential to end the world."

"**And you want me to take care of this man before he can destroy this universe. Which, by the way, is no guarantee that he is even the right guy." **Urahara nodded slowly, wondering if the request was as ridiculous as he thought it sounded. **"No."**

"Why?"

"**Because, what if this man isn't who I'm looking for? If I dwindle the last year this world has away chasing a false lead, then where will you be? You'd be dead. I cannot waste my time on a matter that is not of my concern." **

"Then go to Soul Society! Watch the man, and you tell me that he's _not _the reason we all have a time limit in this universe!" The air suddenly grew clogged, as if somebody had turned the oxygen to water. It pressed down on Urahara's being, his bones creaking. It was so much like the spiritual pressure of a Soul Reaper, but more…well, more. It was hard to describe, too hard to describe at that moment, anyway. All Urahara could think at the moment about it, really, was 'Holy CRAP, I'm being hit by a heavenly fly swatter!'

"**Do **_**not **_**tell me what I will do, human. You do not have that authority." **Snapped Truth. **"Even if I was able to take care of it within a few days, a few months at the most, what makes you think I would? You're asking for me to do something without a price. For free. That's not something I do often. You already received your free information, that should make you more than satisfied!" **That was the problem with humans. Never satisfied. Ever.

"Then how about a trade?" Urahara asked, the words flying from his mouth before he could even think of them, before his brain could process what syllables they had strung together. "You want an equal trade? Then a life for a life. You kill the man that I speak of, follow my orders, do as I say, and in a year's time, you can take my life." Truth's eyes narrowed, but Urahara could already see the start of a grin, the vicious fangs that he were _positive _were serrated flashing in the light.

"**You are aware that if this Exchange is accepted, that your soul won't go back into your half-asses reincarnation cycle? That you will be pulled right into the Void Gate, where nothing exists? Where those who have made deals as foolish as you exist for eternity with nothing?" **Urahara nodded, still not letting his mind think through…well, anything, really.

"I do now." He confirmed. Truth suddenly held out a gloved hand – his left one, Urahara subconsciously noticed. Truth was always doing things with his left hand… - his grin full-blown now.

"**Deal." **He laughed, the chuckle turning into an insane cackle as Urahara took the outstretched hand, and as he felt the tingle of electricity invisible crackle in the air, smelling the slight scent of something burning, and ozone. His left forearm suddenly started to burn, blood rolling down his outstretched arm as something was carved into his flesh. Then suddenly, everything was silent. No more burning feeling or smell, no more flowing blood – his forearm had suddenly been wrapped in bandages that looked like they had been made from his haori that had been folded on the floor, but was no longer there – no more scent of ozone, and no more feeling of electricity in the air. The only thing that remained, was his heart, pounding in his ears, and the insane smirk of the being before him. **"Exchange accepted." **

_What did I just do?_

* * *

><p><strong>HA! I changed it! It WAS Ichigo who originally did the Exchange thing at the end, but I switched it to Urahara. Why? Because having Ichigo just didn't make sense in this story's plot anymore…that, and I felt like I was spoiling Ichigo. I mean, in my other story, <strong>_**Vulpes Alveus**_**Ichigo is Mr. Chosen along with Vulpes Naruto(I so LOVE his last name…Vulpes…hehe), and has that stupid Mark of the Chosen thing, and on his forearm, too! So I just felt like I was automatically making Ichigo the guy who did the exchange, because he's Bleach's main character. **

**But now it tis be our favorite creepy shop owner!**

**Plus, in the original chapter like this, where Ichigo bet away his life instead, I made the deal to sweet. Dying after a year, but staying on the Earth as a permanent Soul Reaper? To many frickin' loopholes! NOW URAHARA'S SCREWED! **

**I love messing with people… **

**Anyway, I'm tired, so if you have any questions, ASK 'EM.**

**Night night.**

_**~ Kitsune-242**_

_**P.S. I HATE school nights. BUT CHRISTMAS IS COMING, SO LOOK FOR CHRISTMAS SPECIALS CHAPTERS IN INSANITY! I'LL TRY TO INCLUDE A GATEKEEPER ONE, IF I REMEMBER. WHICH I WILL. SO…**_

…_**go look in Insanity. If the Christmas Special isn't up by December 30**__**th**__**, send me a PM to kick my ass into gear. **_


	4. Gatekeeper

So, here's the deal, people. No, this isn't a new chapter, but **THIS IS IMPORTANT. **Seriously, I cannot stress that enough!

So, here's the thing. I've fallen out of my interest in Bleach, at least for now. And because of this, I've lost most if not all of my inspiration for Gatekeeper: Divinity. So, I'm thinking about putting it on hold.

BUT!

It's not a "on hold" where you'll never hear another thing from Gatekeeper again. I've actually been talked into/talked myself into writing a Gatekeeper fanfic that's crossed with Doctor Who, thanks to my obsession with it and the Tenth Doctor(and the Ninth).

So basically, it's all up to you. You, my readers, have TWO choices, count them, two.

1 - I continue with Gatekeeper: Divinity, but updates will be slow, _very_ slow, like slower than a laptop with 98 viruses. That's slow, I should know. It's happened to me, like, on a daily basis.

2 - I can put Divinity on hold, and place a story before it, just to get back into the groove of writing my Gatekeeper series. It'll be Doctor Who related, named something like Gatekeeper: Warp or Gatekeeper: Time Warp or Gatekeeper: Legend or something like that. And yes, all the names have a deeper meaning, not just something that "sounds cool."

So, it's all up to you, my readers. Really, if I feel like it, I can do whatever I want, but I like to take the thoughts of my readers into consideration. After all, you guys are the ones that have to put up with my crap. XD

Please tell me your opinions, and if you have **ANY QUESTIONS**, any at all, please please **PLEASE feel free to contact me, and I'll get back to you as fast as I can if your question is answerable.**

**TELL ME YOUR OPINIONS, MY READERS!**

**~ Kitsune-242**


	5. Gatekeeper Announcement 2

Attention, readers of Gatekeeper! I have another announcement for you all!

Howareyouallnottiredofmyshityet-

**This is important, so please, pay attention. **

A few months back, I expressed my desire to write a Gatekeeper story that takes place in the _Doctor Who_ universe. And I would still like to do that, since I've fallen out of the _Bleach_ fandom.

HOWEVER.

Because my mind is hyperactive and my likes jump around faster than a kangaroo on stimulants, I've fallen into ANOTHER fandom. And re-fallen into another, but that is completely beyond the point.

_Supernatural_ fans, grab the nearest trench-coat-clad angel who enjoys Thursdays and get your asses over here.

I used to hate _Supernatural _with a passion. And then, on a whim, I picked up the first season where I left off. And now, after a few weeks, I'm in the middle of season 5. ...goddammit.

So yes, **now it's up to you** on which Gatekeeper I should write. Your choices are:

1. Stick to Gatekeeper: Divinity. Updates will be slow, nearly non-existant, but I'll stick with it and muscle through and whatnot.

2. Do the _Doctor Who _cross. It'll be named something like Gatekeeper: Time Warp, or Gatekeeper: Legend, or Gatekeeper: Warp or something. I don't know which Doctor will be primarily in it, probably either Ten or Eleven. Probably not Nine, though he may make an appearance, and depending on how much I like Twelve when he finally shows up, he might pop in for a while.

3. Do an _Avatar: The Last Airbender _cross. Yeah...that's the one I've re-fallen into. And honestly, I don't even know for this one. I just kind of want to write Ed being a jerk about bending because its lack of Equivalent Exchange. I don't even know what it'd be called. Gatekeeper: Bridge or Gatekeeper: Spirit. Jeez, I hate coming up with names on the spot.

4. Do a _Supernatural _cross. I have to admit, I kind of like this one. I have quite a few ideas for it. I don't want to reveal anything for it, aside from the fact that it would _probably _take place in Season 5. Probably. But it all depends. Working titles are Gatekeeper: Paranormal or Gatekeeper: Celestial. Maybe. I don't know. I usually make up titles for shit as I go.

So, those are your choices. **I will be putting a poll up on my profile, so visit that and vote there.** Gimme a few minutes after this shows up, though, so I can go take my old poll for _"From the Ashes" _down. The choice is ultimately mine, but I don't want to spend time writing something that nobody wants to read.

If there's any questions, message me, and I'll do my best to answer them.

Thanks for putting up with my shit. Not like you have a choice. :D

IAMSUCHABITCH-

~ Kitsune-242


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